Bearberry leaves are known in herbal medicine for their positive effects on urinary tract diseases. Here you can find out more about the effect and exact application of the medicinal plant.
Bearberries actually get their name from bears, as these animals are primarily impressed by the taste of the fruits. We humans don’t like the berries of the bearberry, but we can benefit from their leaves. Since the 13th century, herbalists have been using bearberry leaves because of their positive effects on various ailments – but the studies on this are still unclear.
Bearberry leaves: ingredients and effects
Bearberry leaves have an effective combination of ingredients against cystitis:
- In addition to tannins and diuretic flavonoids, the plant substance arbutin combats bladder problems particularly effectively. It is only converted into hydroquinone in the bladder, which inhibits the growth of bacteria there.
- Since hydroquinone is excreted via the kidneys, it also has an antibacterial effect there as well as in the urinary tract, the ureter and the urethra.
- The ingredients in bearberry leaves have an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-adhesive effect in the body. This can be an advantage because it makes it harder for bacteria, for example, to adhere to the mucous membrane of the bladder.
The evergreen dwarf shrub grows between 30 centimeters and one meter high. It grows primarily in the moors and heaths of Central and Northern Europe. However, it is very rare in Germany and is one of the highly endangered species here. You are therefore not allowed to collect bearberry leaves as the plant is protected.
Because bearberry is professionally grown in Spain and Italy, the leaves are also available in our pharmacy.
Bearberry leaves: application and useful information
(Photo: CC0 / Pixabay / Up-Free)
The medicinal plant is also known colloquially as urinary wort and is used as a tea.
Preparation:
- Fill your tea strainer with about 1 tablespoon (5 grams) of dried bearberry leaves.
- Then pour about 250 milliliters of boiling water over the leaves.
- Let the tea steep for about ten to 15 minutes before removing the bearberry leaves.
According to one provider’s recommendation, you can use up to four cups of the tea per day or six to 12 grams of bearberry leaves. However, you should not use bearberry leaves for longer than a week and no more than five times a year, otherwise it can cause liver damage.
In addition, bearberry leaves are said to work best with alkaline urine. To do this, it is advisable to eat an alkaline diet. This is easiest to achieve if you eat a lot of plant-based products and avoid animal foods. You can find inspiration here: Alkaline recipes: ideas for an alkaline diet.
It is not yet completely clear whether urine really has to be alkaline. A 2003 study suggests that alkaline urine is not a prerequisite for hydroquinone to exert its antibacterial effects. Regardless, you can also protect the environment with a low-meat diet.
Note: Your urine may turn greenish-brown when you use bearberry leaves. However, that is nothing to worry about.
Bearberry leaves combine with other medicinal plants
(Photo: CC0 / Pixabay / Tho-Ge)
You can also combine the antimicrobial effects of bearberry leaves with diuretic medicinal plants. Suitable for this:
- Birch leaves
- Goldenrod
- Field horsetail
- Cranberry juice
If your symptoms do not improve within a week, you should seek medical advice.
Important: Pregnant women, breastfeeding people and children should not use bearberry leaves as a precaution. People with kidney disease or hypersensitivity should also avoid bearberry leaves.
Read more on Utopia:
- Collecting, identifying and eating wild herbs: 11 tips
- Cranberry: healthy miracle berry – with a question mark?
- Multi-resistant germs: What you should know about antibiotic resistance
Edited by Adriana Jodlowska
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